Jamaica government cuts anti- doping budget by 14 million

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC-The Jamaica government has cut its funding to the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) by J$14 million, the country’s minister with responsibility for Sports Natalie Neita-Headley has announced.

However Neita-Headley says she does not anticipate a recurrence of the local doping scandal which rocked the sport of Track and Field because of the strides the country has made to improve its anti-doping programme.

Neita-Headley was addressing the parliament days after President of the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) Craig Reedie applauded the progress made by Jamaica to improve its drug testing programme during a short visit to the island.

The allocation to JADCO is being reduced from J$104 million to J$90 million.

“We don’t anticipate the number of cases we experienced over the last year,” Neita Headley told the Jamaica parliament.

“I believe we have spent a great deal on educating our athletes, introducing a new website that provides additional information. Our athletes are more aware as a result of the Anti-Doping Commission embarking on a programme of work that made it far more efficient”.